[Hiring] School Feeding Technical Advisor @World Food Programme

Role Description

The Senior Technical Advisor will provide strategic technical leadership and advisory support to WFP Iraq and government counterparts on the design, piloting, institutionalization, and potential scaling of a government-led healthy kitchen Home-Grown School Feeding model. The Advisor will also lead the capacity strengthening of WFP’s national school feeding and nutrition team through coaching, mentoring, technical guidance, and structured learning initiatives.

Objectives of the Assignment

• Technical Leadership and Advisory Support:
  • Provide high-level technical guidance on the development, implementation, institutionalization, and scaling of Iraq’s school feeding portfolio.
• Capacity Strengthening:
  • Strengthen the technical and operational capacity of WFP Iraq’s national school feeding and nutrition team.

SCOPE OF WORK AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Strategic Technical Leadership on School Feeding:
  • Provide overall strategic and technical leadership for WFP Iraq’s school feeding portfolio.
  • Guide the technical design and implementation of the healthy kitchen Home-Grown School Feeding pilot model.
  • Support the development of operational modalities that maximize integration within existing national systems.
  • Ensure alignment and embedded design of the pilot within government systems.
  • Advise on nutrition-sensitive menu design, food quality standards, and operational standards.
  • Facilitate and strengthen cross-government coordination and partnerships among key ministries.
  • Support the development of governance, coordination, implementation, and accountability arrangements for the pilot.
  • Provide technical guidance on local procurement and home-grown school feeding approaches.
  • Support integration of healthy eating and nutrition-sensitive Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC).
  • Support the development of implementation guidelines, operational manuals, and technical tools.
  • Provide technical and progress inputs for donor reporting.
• Evidence Generation, Policy Support, and Advocacy:
  • Support the development of the evidence base for school feeding in Iraq.
  • Provide technical support to the ongoing Value for Money (VfM) study.
  • Support the development of an investment case for school feeding.
  • Identify opportunities for innovative domestic financing mechanisms.
  • Support the finalization and dissemination of the SABER.
  • Provide technical and strategic support for advocacy around the endorsement and launch of the National School Feeding Policy.
  • Develop advocacy materials, presentations, and policy briefs.
  • Support engagement with donors and development partners on school feeding priorities.
• South-South Cooperation and Knowledge Exchange:
  • Identify relevant regional and international examples of successful Home-Grown School Feeding programmes.
  • Design and organize South-South knowledge exchange initiatives.
  • Identify funding opportunities for South-South knowledge exchanges.
  • Support the identification of government counterparts for exchanges and dialogues.
  • Ensure lessons learned are contextualized for Iraq’s operational environment.
  • Support preparations for Iraq to participate in global school feeding forums.
• Capacity Strengthening and Team Development:
  • Assess the technical and operational capacity development needs of the national school feeding team.
  • Develop structured individual and team capacity strengthening plans.
  • Provide day-to-day coaching, mentoring, and technical support to national staff.
  • Design and deliver dedicated technical workshops and trainings.
  • Support staff in strengthening strategic planning and programme management capacities.
  • Foster knowledge transfer and institutional learning.

Deliverables

• Final HGSF concept note endorsed by the Ministry of Education.
• Standard Operating Procedures for the HGSF model ready for handover to the Government of Iraq.
• Capacity strengthening strategy and training plan for the national school feeding and nutrition team.
• Training materials, workshop facilitation, and mentoring documentation.
• Technical inputs to the VfM study and investment case development.
• Advocacy and policy engagement materials.
• Support to finalization and publication of SABER School Feeding outputs.
• Support to endorsement and launch of the National School Feeding Policy.
• Contributions to the SBCC campaign and guidance on dissemination channels.
• South-South exchange concept notes and coordination support.
• Periodic progress reports and recommendations for programme scale-up.

Qualifications

• Advanced university degree in Nutrition, Public Health, Education, Food Systems, Social Protection, International Development, Public Policy, Economics, or related field.
• Minimum 8 years of progressively responsible professional experience in school feeding and social protection.
• Demonstrated experience designing or supporting government-led school feeding programmes.
• Strong experience working with government institutions and supporting systems strengthening.
• Demonstrated experience supporting evidence generation and public financing advocacy.
• Experience facilitating multi-sectoral coordination and partnerships.
• Proven experience in capacity building, coaching, mentoring, and technical advisory support.
• Familiarity with school meals global platforms.
• Experience in fragile or complex operating contexts is highly desirable.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong strategic and analytical skills.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and facilitation skills.
• Strong policy advisory and advocacy capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to operationalize innovative programme models.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong training, facilitation, and mentoring skills.

Languages

• Fluency in English required.
• Knowledge of Arabic is an asset.